Novig/Sydney Sweeney on Instagram
Sydney Sweeney lost hundreds of thousands of IG followers after her Novig ad dropped
While Sydney Sweeney’s Novig sports-betting ad has generated enormous attention, it’s also come at a bit of personal cost. Since the ad debuted, Sweeney lost over 200,000 Instagram followers in two days.
The 60-second ad, which shows Sweeney Sweeney mostly nude using footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment for strategic coverage, initially generated 50,000 new followers when it dropped.
Sydney Sweeney lost over 200,000 Instagram followers in two days following backlash over her nude Novig sports-betting ad — with female Olympic athletes among the most vocal critics
The backlash that followed reversed that trend, however, with a net loss of over 200,000 followers in the 48 hours after the ad circulated widely. While the losses represent under 1% of her total following of 25 million, its still a notable data point to develop in response to the Novig ad.
Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medal swimmer from Australia, was among the most direct in her criticism of Sweeney.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” Titmus wrote. “How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport is still a thing?”
Other female Olympians and athletes shared similar critiques, framing the ad as a setback for the broader effort to have women’s sports taken more seriously.
“The campaign was about embracing a fun idea. The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge,” Sweeney said in a statement about the ad.
The Euphoria star has since seemingly responded to her critics by posting a series of ESPN Body Issue covers featuring athletes including Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, and Rob Gronkowski — all posing nude for the annual magazine feature.
The response, however, appears to miss the precise point her critics were making. Australian World champion boxer Skye Nicolson articulated it clearly: “There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport.'”
The ESPN Body Issue photographs athletes in the context of their athletic identity. The Novig ad photographs Sweeney using sports equipment as props to cover her body while promoting a betting app.